ANALYSIS The danger for the Obamas is that the trip may feed perceptions they are out of touch with struggling American families. "This in and of itself doesn't hurt President Obama, but it plants a seed in voters' minds ... that 'they're not like me,' " said Chris Wilson, a Republican pollster.
UK TELEGRAPH REPORT Some estimated the cost to the American taxpayer of Mrs O's entourage and her trip at $375,000. Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, declined to comment on Mrs Obama's holiday, saying "she is a private citizen and is the mother of a daughter on a private trip."
Secret Service and the multiple WH govt employees Mrs O brought on the trip ("supposedly for her friend") occupied about 60 rooms in the posh five-star Villa Padierna hotel,and will be paid for by taxpayers. A 15-vehicle convoy shuttled Her Highness' entourage around.
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The opulence of the The five-star Villa Padierna in Marbella, Spain has drawn scrutiny. The Hotel Villa Padierna, a Ritz-Carlton resort in the mountains outside Marbella has two golf courses, a posh spa with Turkish baths, views of the Mediterranean Sea and a high-end restaurant specializing in avant-garde fare. Room rates start at $400 and rise to $6,500 for a two-bedroom villa with a private pool and 24-hour butler service.
